Commentary: API President and CEO Jack Gerard welcomed the State Department’s approval of the cross-border permit needed for the advancement of the Keystone XL pipeline.

“Today’s action to approve the Keystone XL pipeline’s cross-border permit is welcome news and is critical to creating American jobs, growing the economy, and making our nation more energy secure,” said Gerard. “This critical infrastructure project has been studied longer than any pipeline project in U.S. history with exhaustive reviews by the State Department concluding that the project is safe for the environment and the best option for transporting domestic crude and Canadian oil to U.S. refineries.

“Approval of this project is an important step to recognizing the benefits that come from U.S. energy infrastructure. According to a recent study, private investment in our nation’s energy infrastructure is a one trillion dollar proposition that could create over one million new jobs for America’s safest, most highly trained and productive workers. Moving forward, we strongly urge the individual states, which stand to benefit from the Keystone XL pipeline, to approve this important project.”

API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 625 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 30 million Americans.